Islanders and Dynamo enjoy CONCACAF Success.

Islanders 3 vs Santos Laguna 1(Mexico)

Holden/Ap Photo

Dynamo 0 vs San Francisco FC 0 (Panama)

Final Thoughts:

FMF apologists will complain about the condition of the pitch tonight in Bayoman, but the bottom line is the Islanders coming off three points last week versus Tauro FC and winning the Regular Season USL-1 title are in form and looked eager to get an early goal because of the conditions. Once Puerto Rico scored that goal the game opened up despite the conditions and the Islanders dominated until about minute 60. Santos then began to really play but also in scenes reminiscent of Superliga showed the chippiness and unsporting behavior which always occurs when a Mexican side losses to an American side. Colin Clarke’s longball tactics were perfect for tonight’s muck.

In Panama, the Dynamo played a good match, the best played thus far by an MLS side in this tournament. Much like the Cuban National Team against the US who had been cooped up for much of the previous few weeks due to Tropical Storms/Hurricanes, the Dynamo showed the affects of Ike early with some rust and lack of shape. I have to assume Houston did not train for the better part of ten days. However, as the game moved on the Dynamo settled in and in the 2nd half especially after DeRo came on, Houston was the superior side. A good point on the road for Dom Kinnear’s group.

LIVE BLOG:

Two time reigning MLS Champion Houston Dyanmo and USL Commissioner’s Cup winner Puerto Rico are in action tonight. Houston has a substantially easier match in Panama City against San Francisco while the Islanders remarkable run of success will end tonight no doubt in Bayoman against Santos Laguna, whom I consider to be the best club side in CONCACAF region. Stay tuned here for live commentary as the elite teams in both of our US domestic leagues do battle tonight with some of the best from the region.

9:55 PM ET: Looks likely both results will hold. Pat Onstad and Peter Villegas have been the respective MOMs. The Santos players are being chippy and are doing a good job of baiting the Islanders. Game over, Islanders win 3-1, Dynamo draw nill nill. A good night for American sides.

9:50 PM ET: Santos has really taken over this game the last fifteen minutes. The Islanders seem to have run out of gas. In Panama, the Dyanmo are doing MLS proud tonight with an awesome display of defending and counter attacking.

9:45 PM ET: Chippy play from San Francisco. They seem desperate and Houston could nick one at the end. Holden standing over a corner, sends a good ball in which leads to a nice header which could have spilled to DeRo.

9:40 PM ET: Colin Clarke making defensive switches. It’s 11 v 10 now and he has a two goal lead. Gbandi replaces Villegas, while the Santos manager has been sent off. In Panama, the Dynamo continue to hold steady.

9:35PM ET: GOAL SANTOS followed by a fight. Typical Mexican Football where the Santos players are trying to stir it up. A Santos player hit Bill Gaudette in the eye. He has been sent off. Now the Santos players are charging the ref again. #23 on Santos sent off. (Sorry don’t know his name). DeRo and Ching on in Panama.

9:25 PM ET: Houston still keeping its shape and looking solid. Puerto Rico getting more chances and in typically Mexican fashion Santos is starting to lose their cool. San Francisco has a free kick and just missed it.

9:20 PM ET: Houston still holding its own down in Panama.

9:15 PM ET: GOAL ISLANDERS. Miranda! 3-0 Islanders.

8:55 PM ET: Against a side like Santos, maybe the best team in the region, the Islanders have to take their opportunities and while they have two goals they should have at least two more. Still 2-0 in Bayoman, and 0-0 in Panama. Halftime in both games.

8:50 PM: Puerto Rico should have a third and maybe a fourth by now. Oswaldo Sanchez playing as usual huge between the pipes. Houston and San Francisco still scoreless.

8:46 PM ET: GOAL! Puerto Rico. It’s Delgado. 2-0.

8:45 PM ET: Peter Villegas has a breakaway but cannot settle the ball and loses control of it! Then a great save by Oswaldo Sanchez and then another clearance off the line by Santos. Colin Clarke’s boys could be up 2-0 now. Boy they will regret not finishing in that sequence.

8:40 PM ET: Bill Gaudette goes down and looks badly hurt. The trainer comes on but he shakes it off and will continue. The pitch is now water logged. They should call the game but with the USL-1 side winning let’s hope they don’t!

8:35 PM ET: AGH! Jeff Cameron just a a bit wide of the far post.

8:30 PM ET: I’m glad to see Cory Ashe get a run out tonight. He’s the type of player who can really frustrate latin sides who try and slow the game down.

8:25 PM ET: American born Edgar Castillio flubs a shot on goal. Bill Gaudette was in good position, but Castillio did have the far post open. The rain has intensified in Bayoman and Puerto Rico’s early goal now is even more critical.

8:20 PM ET: GOAL! ISLANDERS! Not sure if that was Telesford or Villegas. Can you believe that Cinderella is still dancing?

8:15 PM ET: Osei Telesford beat Oswaldo Sanchez but he was offsides.

8:10 PM ET: Jorge Dely Valdes who once scored a ton of goals for the Rapids is now playing for San Francisco in his native country. Or is that is brother Juan Dely Valdes?

8:05 PM ET: No DeRo, or Ching for the Dynamo but still a formidable lineup except for the fact that the error prone Patrick Ianni starts.

About Kartik Krishnaiyer

A lifelong lover of soccer, the beautiful game, he served from January 2010 until May 2013 as the Director of Communications and Public Relations for the North American Soccer League (NASL).
Raised on the Fort Lauderdale Strikers of the old NASL, Krishnaiyer previously hosted the American Soccer Show on the Champions Soccer Radio Network, the Major League Soccer Talk podcast and the EPL Talk Podcast.
His soccer writing has been featured by several media outlets including The Guardian and The Telegraph. He is the author of the book Blue With Envy about Manchester City FC.
View all posts by Kartik Krishnaiyer →

I’ve never really watched USL before outside the open cup. Honestly, I’m an MLS guy through and through and while this is a water logged pitch I cannot help but be very impressed by the Islanders. I guess Colin Clarke isn’t an idiot after all: FC Dallas is going to miss the playoffs and he’s got this USL team playing so well. Man, impressive spacing and attacking intent despite the conditions.

Yeah Phillip, agree. Still cannot help but be impressed by Puerto Rico. When you watch as much soccer as I do and coach it as well positioning and shape stand out to me and Puerto Rico despite the conditions is setup perfectly from what I can see.

Houston game isn’t that boring. Panama is putting up a fight and both teams have had chances. The pitch (which is really a baseball field) is crap, and now it is starting to rain. I think in the end the height advantage of the Dynamo will pay off, especially in set pieces. The FSC guys keep talking about the 10 day break that the Dynamo had thanks to Ike, but it wasn’t that great of a break becuase, like me, many of the players didn’t have power during much of that period. As an aside, the Dynamo FO ended up setting up shop in the Robertson Stadium press box because of the damage to their offices downtown.

Good on the Islanders. Onstad is a rock for the Dynamo and just got punched in the face after the ball went out of bounds. Happened in front of the Ref and no card issued at all. I love playing south of the border.

Puerto Rico has been successful in this tournament because they don’t f4%@ around in the midfield trying to “build possession” against superior teams, like MLS sides and dare I say the US National Team does.

They go right for it: every game I’ve watched of theirs in this tournament they try and score in the first ten minutes, even on the road. Sometimes it works, and sometimes it doesn’t. But they create more chances than the MLS teams even though every single MLS team has more talent than Puerto Rico the top USL side.

Colin Clarke was railroaded in Dallas by problem children like Ramon Nunez and Arturo Alverez, both of which aren’t worth a damn thing. Both are self absorbed losers. Now the Hoops are stuck with a college coach and the USL team sits atop a champions league group.

Lesson boys and girls: Coaching counts. In fact coaching means more than the players.